Open Arms
by ArminArlelt
Summary: After yet another defeat and more insults from his rival, Ash decides to follow Paul and confront him about his obnoxious attitude. When he finally understands why Paul acts the way he does, more things are realized. Comashipping. -Award for Vulpixi Misa.
1. Chapter 1

**This is for Vulpixi Misa for placing first in my strange pairings contest! I hope you like it! (I worked my butt off on this story! Since I don't watch Pokemon, I had to look up a whole bunch of stuff to make this story sound even halfway legit. Thanks for reading anyway ^-^ )**

**Warning!: Comashipping!**

"Fernape!" Infernape wailed as it fell to the ground, motionless and defeated.

"Infernape, no!" Ash called as he rushed to his Pokemon's side. Kneeling down before it, he picked it up carefully in his arms and smiled down at it. The Pokemon looked back up to him and gave him a look of disappointment. Despite his 4th defeat from his rival, Ash looked as if he had just beaten the champion.

"You did such a great job, Infernape. You really tried your best. Thanks," he said as he took out its pokeball. In a red flash, it disappeared into the red and white sphere.

"How pathetic…" Paul remarked quietly. Silently taking out Magmortar's pokeball and returning his Pokemon, he scowled down at it.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked it rhetorically.

Hearing this, the raven-haired boy stood from the ground and gave an angry look at the other.

"Why do you have to be like that, Paul? Your Pokemon do their best to gain your respect and they battle their hardest but you brush it off like they don't even try!" Ash yelled.

"Hn. I don't need your lectures," Paul stated bluntly. Burrowing his hands in his pockets, he turned without a word and began to walk away.

Seeing this, Ash growled and ran to catch up with him.

"Ash, wait!-" Dawn began to yell before Brock put a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Just let him go. You know Ash; he won't stop once he had his mind set on something," Brock reasoned. Dawn gave him a defiant look for a moment before dropping it and sighing. She knew he was right.

"Paul!" Ash yelled, gaining on the purple-haired boy.

Hearing the footsteps coming from behind him, Paul gave an exasperated sigh and stopped. He knew there was no escaping the annoying trainer when he had something to say, so he turned around to see the boy running full speed toward him.

Catching his breath, Ash stopped and looked up into his rival's angry, impatient scowl. Ash backed away a little and then broke out in a scowl of his own.

"What do you want," Paul stated more than asked.

"What do I want? I _want_ to know why you always act like such an arrogant little brat that never shows any feeling other than hate and disrespect! Do you know that pretty much everyone you meet _hates _you, with the exception of Barry, because you act like such a jerk?" Ash yelled, curling his hands into fists.

Paul didn't move or show any feeling at Ash's request. Then, as if nothing had been said, he closed his eyes and began to walk away again.

Ash looked shocked for a moment and then ran to catch up with him once more.

"Paul!" Ash yelled. Paul continued to walk without slowing down.

"PAUL!" Ash yelled once more. Getting close enough, he grabbed Paul's shoulder and spun him around to where he could see the other's face. What he saw shocked him.

Paul had tears streaming down his face, showing no signs of stopping or slowing down.

Ash quickly let go of his shoulders and looked confused for a moment.

_Paul _was **crying**.

Ash didn't know what to do. He stood there blankly for a moment, watching more tears stream down his rival's face and listening to his uneven intakes of breath. Finally, he decided to speak.

"P-Paul. What… What's wrong?" Ash asked.

Paul didn't respond for a moment, but looked up into Ash's face.

"Nothing…" was his only shaky word. Turning once again, he walked deeper into the forest. Ash didn't stop him this time; he was too shocked to move.

Ash stood there with a dumb-struck look on his face. Maybe he had imagined Paul crying..?

No. Those tears were all too real.

Despite himself, Ash called out to Paul's disappearing figure.

"Paul! Meet me behind the Pokemon Center tonight! At 8:00! I want to talk to you!" he called.

Paul hesitated, then simply continued to walk.

Thinking about what had just happened, Ash's eyes widened.

He had just asked Paul, the meanest and most cold-hearted person he had ever seen, to meet him in a secluded place to 'talk'.

Oh well. The damage was already done.

Ash then doubted if Paul would really come. He could just blow it off and think Ash was stupid for even hoping he would show up.

He finally decided he would still wait for Paul nonetheless.

. . . . . . .

When Ash came back to the area he and Paul had battled, Brock and Dawn rushed up to him.

"Ash!" they both called in their usual manner.

"Hey, guys," Ash responded in a spaced-out way. He continued to walk straight past them without a word, leaving Brock and Dawn staring at each other with a confused look.

"Ash? What's wrong with you? What did Paul do to you?" Dawn asked, catching up with him.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Listen, we need to get to the Pokemon Center… to heal everybody…" Ash stated blankly. He shoved his gloved hands in his pockets in a very Paul-like manner and walked off, once again leaving Brock and Dawn with confused stares.

. . . . . . .

When the trio arrived at the Pokemon Center, Brock did his love speech for nurse Joy, which, of course, failed thanks to Croagunk.

Usually, Ash would be embarrassed and try to apologize for his friend's ignorance, but he just stood there with a blank stare on his face. Dawn noticed this and turned to him.

"Ash? What's wrong?" Dawn asked from beside him.

Ash glanced at her with a look that told her that he wasn't going to say anything. She seemed to understand and brushed off her own question.

"Can we get a room please, nurse Joy?" Dawn asked.

"Of course!" she said happily as she pulled a key from her desk and handed it to Ash.

"Thanks," Ash said with no emotion.

Ash looked at the Pokemon Center's wall clock.

_6:49 _he thought.

"Guys, I think I'll go take a shower now," Ash stated while walking away to their room.

"Uh… ok…" Dawn responded, but Ash was too far gone to hear it.

"What's wrong with him?" Brock asked, returning suddenly from whatever place Croagunk had dragged him to.

"I'm not sure…" Dawn said.

. . . . . . .

After his shower, Ash put on clean clothes and looked at the clock. It read 7:45

He wondered if Paul would even show up, or if he would take it as a joke and not waste his time.

He finally decided to just go outside and wait. Maybe Paul would come through for him.

. . . . . . . . .

"Ash! Where are you going?" Dawn called.

Ash had placed his hand on the center's door handle and was almost outside when he heard the familiar voice coming his way. He sighed inwardly and turned to face her.

"Out," he responded simply.

"Out where?" she pressed.

"Just out to get some supplies," he lied.

"At 7:55 at night? Come on, where are you _really _going?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Ash inwardly sighed again and then quickly thought of a cover up.

"I wanted to go at night because there's bound to be a cute girl at the Pokemart, and I knew that Brock would go with me if I went out during the day, so I thought I would save us all the trouble," he said smoothly.

Ash could tell that Dawn was still skeptical, but after a moment, she nodded and returned to their room.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ash turned and walked outside.

The night air blasted him in the face. It was cold, but at the same time… relaxing. His fears that Paul wouldn't show up vanished as he took in the night scene.

The grass reflected the moonlight which gave it a beautiful white glow. Kricketunes chirped and Hoothoots called as he continued to walk towards the back of the Pokemon Center.

Finally reaching the back wall, he took a seat on the ground and waited patiently for Paul to come. Half of him wanted to believe that the boy would come, but the other half had serious doubts.

A few moments later, a strong, cold wind came, making Ash shiver as it blew past. Suddenly, his hat came off with it and the wind blew it towards the corner of the Pokemon Center.

"My hat!" Ash yelled into the air as he got up off the ground in an attempt to catch it.

All of a sudden, a hand came out from behind the wall and caught it. Ash stopped in shock as the person came around the corner.

Paul.

"Paul! You showed up!" Ash said incredulously. Paul's ever-present scowl turned deeper at his statement.

"Of course I showed up! You asked me to, didn't you?" he asked.

"Well… yeah, but I just thought that you would blow me off," Ash said.

"Hn," was Paul's only response.

"Uh… thanks for catching my hat," Ash said. Paul then realized that he was still holding the other's hat; quite tightly. Glaring down at it, he shoved it in Ash's direction disgustedly.

"Whatever. So, why did you want me to come here?" Paul asked.

Ash thought for a moment while he put his hat firmly back in its place. How did he exactly want to phrase his question? He finally decided to just be blunt.

"I wanted to know why you were crying today in the forest," Ash said sternly.

Paul flinched at his request. He'd forgotten that Ash had seen that.

"…" Paul was silent.

"Paul. Answer me," Ash stated again.

Paul hesitated before responding.

"It's... complicated," Paul said.

"I've got time," Ash said back.

Paul was surprised at Ash's willingness. Suddenly, Ash grabbed Paul's hand and pulled him over to where he had been sitting before. Not letting go, he sat down, dragging Paul down with him. Paul blushed and jerked his hand away.

"Now, what happened? Why were you crying?" Ash asked again, oblivious to Paul's blush.

Paul looked at Ash's sincere face and knew that he was genuinely worried and this wasn't just a way to make fun of him for being weak.

"… You were the reason," Paul said, looking anywhere but Ash's face.

Ash looked like he had seen a ghost. He was the reason? What had he done? He had never made anyone cry before.

"M-me? What did I do?" Ash asked.

"It wasn't what you did… it was what you said," Paul corrected.

"What I _said_? How did _that _hurt your feelings? You say horrible things to me every time we meet! If you expect me to apologize-"

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP FOR 5 SECONDS?" Paul yelled, cutting him off.

Ash shut up.

Paul sighed before continuing.

"What you said reminded me of when I… was little…" Paul began, "I used to look up to my father like a hero. He taught me how to ride a bike and play baseball; just like any good dad would. But one day, he got fired from his job. Then… my dad turned into a full-fledged alcoholic. He would come home every night after he returned from the bar and yell at my innocent mother for hours after. I tried to stop him a few times, but that only got me black eyes and insults, which would make the kids at school tease me. My father would tell me all the time that I was useless and disrespective. He told me that a spoiled brat like me didn't even deserve to be alive. Reggie was a different story though. Dad would praise him like he was an angel. His reason for thinking this was because he never got in the way of anything he did. He would always be out with his friends or be doing something that would 'change the world for the better' in my dad's eyes. He told me that Reggie was born lucky… he told me that I was lucky to be born. He told me that I should be… _grateful _to have a home…"

Paul stopped to avoid breaking into tears. Ash continued to sit looking at his rival with a horrified look. Regaining composure, Paul continued.

"One time I had a Pikachu… a lot like yours. My mother had given it to me for my 10th birthday; it was my very first Pokemon. I loved that little Pikachu. I taught it a whole bunch of incredible moves, including volt tackle. My mother and I kept it secret from my father, because we knew that if he found it, he would kill all three of us. I did a real good job of hiding it, too. I kept it completely unknown for 3 months. Then one day I went outside… and Pikachu got out. My dad found it and asked me and my mother if we had anything to do with this. We both knew that lying wouldn't help, since he would eventually find out anyway. He gave my mother and me an extra good beating that night. The next day… I found my Pikachu dead. Fearing for my safety, my mother packed mine and Reggie's things and told him to take me somewhere safe. That's how we ended up in Veilstone. A few years later, I went out on my Pokemon journey… alone… and that's the way it's always been," Paul finished.

Ash didn't know how to respond for a moment. He was lost in what his rival had just told him. Finally getting his thoughts together, he spoke.

"Paul… I had no idea… I'm so sorry-"

"Save your apologies. I don't need your sympathy," Paul said blankly. Little did Ash know, that's what Paul wanted most.

Ash paused for a moment before continuing.

"Paul, to me, you've always been hard to figure out. But now… I think I really get you," Ash said.

Paul turned to him and looked into his amber eyes.

"Now I know why you've always been so interested in my Pikachu. And I also know why you are so mean to everyone," Ash stopped and looked back into Paul's eyes, "it's because you're afraid, isn't it."

Paul seemed to be stunned by Ash's statement.

"You're afraid that if you get too close to anyone, they'll betray you, just like your father did. But you can't let one occurrence guide your life. You'll never be happy or have friends. And sure, even if it's working for you now, just think about when you get older. You'll be alone for everything. Can you even imagine how horrible that will be?" Ash asked.

Paul's eyes sparkled at Ash's words. Ash really cared, and it made him feel… good..?

"I…" Paul was speechless.

"Just think about what I've said. Thank you for coming and trusting me enough to tell me… what you told me," Ash said. He got up and began to walk back towards the front of the Pokemon Center.

Suddenly, a warm hand caught him by the arm. Ash turned around to see Paul giving him a look that told him that he desperately wanted to say something. Catching this, Ash walked back over and sat back down beside him, closer than before. After a long time of painful silence, Paul finally spoke.

"Ash… what you said was true. My dad just really hurt me, physically and emotionally, so I guess I just built a wall, blocking everyone out…" Paul said quietly.

-AN: _This is where Ash gets way OOC-_

"It's not uncommon that people get in your same situation. How often do we hold onto our meager scraps of life, clutching them so closely to us, failing to realize that we gain everything by letting go. We nurse our grudges and anger over pasts slights and abuses, telling ourselves we are entitled to our resentments after all we have endured, destroying ourselves and our happiness in the process," Ash said.

Paul looked into Ash's eyes very intently, listening to every word like his life depended it.

"Ya know," Ash continued, leaning against the back of the Pokemon Center and looking up at the stars that beautifully decorated the night sky, "we expect miracles to happen every day, and when they don't, we become disappointed because we are not satisfied with what _does_ happen. But honestly, we often fail to see the splendor of the simple everyday things and seize the moments that present themselves to us," Ash stopped and looked back at Paul with happy eyes.

"We seek peace but remain so busy doing, planning to do, or remembering what we have done that we have no time for it. You have to learn to let go and move on. Do you understand?" Ash asked.

Ash looked into his rival's eyes and saw that the other did understand- very well.

"I… never wanted to get close to anyone else because I was so afraid that what happened to me as a kid would happen again… I didn't even want to take the chance…" Paul said.

Ash could see the years of pain and battling emotions in Paul's deep amethyst eyes.

"You took the chance, though, Paul. You got close to me," Ash said smiling.

Unbelievably, Paul slightly smiled back.

"I… guess I did," Paul admitted. Violet and amber eyes stared at each other intently for a moment before Ash blinked and his expression noticeably changed into something unreadable. Paul confusedly blinked back.

"I want to give you something," Ash said.

Ash smiled and took one of Paul's hands, turning it upwards to where Ash could see his palm. Paul blushed but didn't pull back. Ash reached into his own pocket and dug around for a moment. Finally seeming to find what he was looking for, Ash pulled out something that was not visible because his hand was covering it completely. Paul was very curious and watched as Ash delicately held Paul's hand and placed his curved fingers softly on his palm. Opening and releasing what he held, Ash moved his hand and Paul looked down to see a beautiful silver soothe bell with a small yellow ribbon tied around the top lying in its place. His eyes widened and Ash smiled at this.

"You… kept it?" Paul asked. Ash nodded and continued to smile.

"I have had this since the day you gave… _threw _it at me," Ash said, smiling sarcastically. Paul gave him a look of silent apology.

"I've kept it because I thought one day that you might need it back… so… there it is," Ash continued sheepishly.

Paul glanced down at the small round object and then back into Ash's eyes. Wide pools of happy amber stared back.

"Thanks… Ash…" Paul said. Ash's eyes widened and he looked shocked. Paul looked back at him confused.

"What?" he asked the other.

"It's just… you've never called me by my name before. It's always been 'loser' or 'idiot'," Ash said. Paul blushed and closed his eyes, looking anywhere but Ash's. Ash looked more confused than ever.

"Paul… are you… blushing?" Ash asked. Paul's blush deepened as Ash scooted closer.

"Hn… of course not… only losers blush," Paul countered. Paul's eyes shot open when he felt one of Ash's hands touch his face. Ash giggled.

"It feels like you're blushing. You're awfully warm," Ash smiled. Paul glanced at Ash and scowled, still blushing. Ash's smile dropped and he also scowled.

"This'll probably sound really cliché, but if you keep scowling like that, your face will get stuck that way. Why don't you try a different expression for once?" Ash teased. Paul's scowl deepened. (If that was possible.) Ash thought for a moment before his face lit up in amusement.

"Well, if you won't change your expression…" Ash paused and caught Paul's shoulders, "I guess I'll have to change it for you."

Suddenly, Ash pulled Paul into a hug. (Fooled you, didn't I? ;) ) Paul's eyes widened in complete shock.

Surprisingly, Paul didn't pull away like he thought he would. It was almost… nice..? And… comforting. He felt so safe and content, like he really _belonged _in Ash's arms. Slowly and hesitantly, he began to wrap his own arms around Ash. Once his arms got all the way around the other, he closed his eyes.

Soon, his grip began to get tighter and tighter. Ash noticed this, smiled, and also began to grip Paul tighter. Scooting closer, Paul melted further into the embrace, Ash responding in the same way. Their bodies seemed to fit together perfectly; like jigsaw pieces.

Paul felt his blush return as they continued to hug. He actually _liked _having the other this close.

Sooner than Paul wanted, Ash slowly began to part.

Ash had to smile at the other's expression. His scowl was completely gone and a deep red blush covered his face.

"See? Was that so hard?" Ash asked rhetorically. Paul simply blinked in response. Ash laughed.

"Ya know…" Ash began, "you're actually kinda cute when you blush."

Paul's blush deepened again. Ash busted out laughing and fell back on the ground at this.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?" Paul yelled. Ash continued to laugh. Paul felt completely embarrassed and his pride had taken a huge blow. His scowl returned and his blush completely faded.

"Y… You! You're what's funny! I've never seen you so… so embarrassed! It's so… so… funny!" Ash said through laughs. Paul growled and then pulled Ash up from the ground, bringing his face just a few inches from his. He wasn't going to let Ash get all the enjoyment out of this. Ash immediately stopped laughing and his breathing hitched.

Closing the gap, Paul pressed his lips to Ash's. Now it was Ash's turn to be shocked. His eyes widened, he blushed deeper than he ever had in his life, and his heart rate skyrocketed.

Paul, being completely inexperienced, just pulled Ash closer. He was going to make Ash feel just as embarrassed as he had felt. Then, just as he was about to pull away, something happened that he never would have expected.

Ash started kissing back.

The shock finally wearing off, Ash's eyes closed and he felt completely indescribable. He had never been kissed before, but he instantly fell in love with the feeling. He, like Paul, had no idea what he was doing, but finally decided to just melt into it. They held each other in place for a few more moments.

Finally running out of air, the two parted at the same time.

Despite Paul's plan to make Ash the one embarrassed, the moment the other boy had begun to kiss back, he began to blush again. Ash had the same expression. Their mouths hung open and their eyes were wide; deep blushes covering their cheeks and the bridges of their noses.

"What… was that for?" Ash asked shakily, his breath hitting Paul's face. They were still only inches apart from each other.

"I-I… was… trying to make you… embarrassed," Paul said quietly.

"Well…" Ash began, "congratulations." He smiled. Paul smiled back.

Suddenly, Paul busted out laughing, startling Ash in the process. For some reason, Ash started laughing, too.

"W-why are you… laughing?" Ash asked through his own laughs.

"W-why are you laughing?" Paul answered with a question.

"You look so funny when you're embarrassed!" they said at the same time.

Soon, the two were on the ground, holding their hurting stomachs.

Finally stopping, the two laid on the grass-covered ground looking up at the stars, only a few centimeters apart.

"Hey, Paul…" Ash said from beside him.

"Hm?"

"… Never mind… it's dumb…" Ash said, turning away from the other.

Paul looked surprised for a moment before he grabbed Ash and turned him over to face him. Ash's breathing hitched, but was surprised to see Paul with a very content look on his features.

"Come on. What were you going to say?" Paul asked. Ash blushed a little from the close contact, but quickly shook it off and sighed.

"I just thought that if you could trust me now… I was… just going to ask if… you maybe wanted… to… travel with me… er, us," Ash stuttered. Paul smiled widely and chuckled a little.

"Sure. I do think I can trust you. And I also think that it would be… fun. That is… if your friends don't mind," Paul said.

"Oh, trust me. They won't," Ash said with a mischievous look on his face.

Paul smirked then wrapped an arm around Ash's shoulders, bringing him even closer. They both blushed, but enjoyed the close contact.

"Thanks," Paul finally said. Ash looked up at Paul with a confused expression.

"For?" Ash asked.

"For helping me let go. I just didn't know how, but what you said really broke through to me. I'm glad I came here tonight," Paul sighed, closing his eyes. Ash's eyes sparkled as he smiled and closed his eyes also, lying peacefully in Paul's open arms.

**I hope you liked this! It was super hard to write since I don't know their personalities or anything. But ****I'd love a review! (Please don't bash me on this. I really am not very good at writing romance, but I really wanted to write a comashipping story for Vulpixi Misa.) Thanks for reading!* - Dawn ^-^**


	2. Ash's thoughts

**I wasn't really planning on doing this, but I had a whole bunch of people ask me to do chapters showing Ash and Paul's thoughts through the whole deal. This chapter will be all about Ash's thoughts throughout the course of the first chapter. I hope you all like this!* **

**(THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE READ! IT'S **_**NOT**_** A CONTINUATION OF THE FIRST CHAPTER, IT'S JUST A SIDE CHAPTER TO SHOW ASH'S THOUGHTS.)**

"Fernape!" Infernape wailed as he fell to the ground, motionless and defeated. Seeing this, my heart dropped.

"Infernape!" I called to it as I rushed to its side. I knelt down next to it and caressed it in my arms in a soothing manner. I smiled down at it half-heartedly and he looked back up to me with an extremely disappointed face. I felt so bad for it. It had battled until it couldn't stand anymore, just to prove to me and my rival how strong it had become. Feeling no reason to make the situation worse by getting upset, I put on my best fake-happy face.

"You did such a great job, Infernape. You really tried your best. Thanks," I said, fighting back tears at my recent loss. I took out its pokeball and silently returned it back.

"How pathetic…" I heard Paul say. I knew it was not intended for me to hear, but it didn't even matter. I was use to his insults, and I really didn't feel like sparking up a fight at the moment.

I saw him take out Magmortar's pokeball, returning the Pokemon before sending an awful glare down towards it.

"Is that all you've got?" I heard him hiss down at the pokeball.

That did it.

I stood from the ground and frowned at him.

"Why do you have to be like that, Paul? Your Pokemon do their best to gain your respect and they battle their hardest but you brush it off like they don't even try!" I yelled at him. Not that I thought it would affect him in the least.

"Hn. I don't need your lectures," he stated bluntly before simply shoving his hands in his pockets and walking towards the forest.

Deciding to give chase, I took off in his direction. I heard Dawn call my name, but at the moment, I really didn't care in the least. She knew I couldn't be stopped when I had my mind set.

Catching up to Paul, I saw him stop and turn towards me. I stopped as well and caught my breath before looking up into his scowling face. It was a little intimidating, so I backed up a few steps while putting on my on scowl to show him I wouldn't be turned down this time.

"What do you want," I heard him ask… or rather, state.

"What do I want? I _want_ to know why you always act like such an arrogant little brat that never shows any feeling other than hate and disrespect! Do you know that pretty much everyone you meet _hates _you, with the exception of Barry, because you act like such a jerk?" I practically yelled at him. I didn't feel guilty about yelling; I was so mad, I had to hold myself back from flat out punching the guy.

He just gave me a stare for a minute before closing his eyes and turning, again walking away from all my attempts at attention from him.

Not that I _wanted _his undying attention or anything…

I probably looked a little shocked that he just walked away from me so rudely. I ran after him again anyway, refusing to give up this time.

"Paul!" I called his name, but he just kept walking.

"PAUL!" I yelled again, a little bit louder this time. Once I got close enough, I grabbed onto his shoulder and spun him around towards me. My eyes widened when I saw his face.

Tears.

Tears were streaming down his face. I couldn't believe it.

_Paul _was **crying. **

I must have looked like an idiot; standing there with my mouth wide open, just _watching _Paul constantly crying in front of me. It wasn't my fault; I was just too shocked to move.

Finally realizing that his tears weren't going to stop, I decided to try and talk to him.

"P-Paul? What… what's wrong?" I managed to stutter. He just stood there with his eyes clenched shut. After a minute, he looked up at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen.

"Nothing," he said shakily. I knew that it wasn't 'nothing'. I wasn't _that _stupid, but I did let him walk away before I took in the situation.

"Paul! Meet me behind the Pokemon Center tonight! At 8:00! I want to talk to you!" I called some-what consciously.

I saw him hesitate in his step, but then he just continued to walk. Thinking about it, I really couldn't believe what I just did.

I just asked Paul to meet me behind the Pokemon Center to 'talk'.

Why did I even _think _Paul would come?

Oh well. I'll wait for him anyway.

But why? I should know that he wouldn't waste his time with me.

But maybe it's because I really wanted to believe that he would care enough about me to come.

. . . . . . . .

I finally made it back to the area Paul and I had battled, only to be greeted by my friends rushing up to me.

I heard them call my name, but I just responded with a 'hey guys' to show them I didn't just completely ignore their existence.

I kept walking towards the direction of the Pokemon Center. I wanted to get there as fast as possible.

"Ash! What's wrong with you? What did Paul do to you?" I some-what heard Dawn ask. I thought about just not responding, but I really didn't want to be mean to her, so I decided to act like I hadn't heard her very well.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Listen, we need to get to the Pokemon Center… to heal everybody…" I responded. Not looking back, I shoved my hands in my pockets, thinking about Paul while I did so, and continued to walk.

. . . . . . . .

When we got to the Pokemon Center, Brock did his love speech, and Croagunk punched him with a poison jab.

Same ol' same ol'.

"Ash? Ash, what's wrong?" I heard Dawn ask me. I turned to her and silently told her that it was too complicated for me to talk about at the moment. She seemed to understand and turned back to nurse Joy.

"Can we get a room please, nurse Joy?" she asked.

"Of course!" she complied, handing me a key. I told her thanks and looked up at the wall clock.

6:49. I figured now was a good time to go get a shower. I didn't want Paul to think I didn't care about hygiene.

Not that I cared about his opinion of me…

"Guys, I think I'll go take a shower now," I said and began to walk towards our assigned room.

I heard Dawn say something to the affect of 'ok', but I ignored it this time and continued to our room.

. . . . . . . .

After my shower, I put on fresh clothes and looked up at the clock once more.

7:45. It's almost time.

I now had serious doubts whether or not Paul would show up. Maybe he wouldn't bother.

No. I'll still wait for him.

. . . . . . . .

"Ash! Where are you going?" Dawn called to me.

I was almost outside when I heard her call to me. I inwardly sighed, but decided to at least give her some kind of answer.

"Out," I said simply.

"Out where?" she pressed.

"Just out to get some supplies," I lied.

"At 7:55 at night? Come on, where are you _really _going?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

I sighed again. I had to think of something to tell her. I was almost time for our… 'appointment'.

"I wanted to go at night because there's bound to be a cute girl at the Pokemart, and I knew that Brock would go with me if I went out during the day, so I thought I would save us all the trouble," I lied smoothly. I knew she couldn't argue with that.

She still obviously was skeptical, but after a minute, she nodded and returned to our room.

This time, I sighed in relief. I could finally be alone…

… with Paul.

Not that I _wanted _to be alone with him or anything…

I turned and walked outside.

With the night scene, my fears that Paul wouldn't come melted away. The air was cool, and the grass reflected the moon perfectly; almost making it glow. I listened to the night sounds while slowly making my way to the very back wall of the Pokemon Center.

I took a seat in the cool grass and waited patiently for Paul to show up.

After a few moments, a cold wind blew by, making me shiver a little. Suddenly, my hat came off with it and the wind blew it to the corner of the back wall.

"My hat!" I yelled, jumping up and trying to catch it.

Suddenly, a hand came out from behind the wall and caught it before I could. I was shocked when I saw who had caught it.

Paul.

"Paul! You showed up!" I said incredulously. Paul's scowl turned deeper at this.

I had to fight a blush as he came closer to me.

"Of course I showed up! You asked me to, didn't you?" he asked.

"Well… yeah, but I just thought that you would blow me off," I said, a little bit embarrassed. He turned his head and closed his eyes in irritation.

"Hn," was his only response. Typical Paul. Then I noticed that he was still holding onto my hat. In almost an… affectionate way? No, I was just imagining it.

"Uh… thanks for catching my hat," I tried. Noticing himself that he was still holding it, he shoved it in my direction embarrassedly.

"Whatever. So, why did you want me to come here?" he asked.

As I put my hat back it place, I noticed that it smelled a little bit like... lavender? Hm… nice. Oh yeah, his question. I'll just be blunt and get to the point.

"I wanted to know why you were crying today in the forest," I said sternly. I saw him flinch a little and then become silent. He didn't respond, so I decided to keep trying to get an answer out of him.

"Paul. Answer me," I stated again. Finally, he came up with some-what of a response.

"It's… complicated," he said.

"I've got time," I said truthfully. It was only about 8:05, so there was plenty of time before Brock or Dawn would start to become suspicious.

I could tell he was a little bit shocked that I was so willing. Taking the chance, I grabbed his hand and pulled him over to where I was sitting before. I blushed a little bit as I drug him down with me, and I caught a glimpse of him and saw that he was blushing, too. I smiled inwardly.

"Now, what happened? Why were you crying?" I asked. He looked at me for a minute before glancing away and closing his eyes.

"…You were the reason," he said finally.

I must have looked like I had just seen a ghost. I had never made anyone cry before. If anything, I was the reason that someone had _stopped _crying.

"M-me? What did I do?" I asked shakily.

"It wasn't what you did… it was what you said," he corrected. I was offended at his statement. He calls me a 'loser' and a 'pathetic fool' all the time. How did what I say possibly make any difference in his eyes?

"What I _said_? How did _that _hurt your feelings? You say horrible things to me every time we meet! If you expect me to apologize-"

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP FOR 5 SECONDS?" he yelled at me. I shut up completely. He gave an exasperated sigh before continuing.

-AN: If you read the first chapter, then you don't need to read Paul's explanation. It's the same as in the first chapter, so just kind of skim through this until you see the part about Ash getting up and walking away.-

"What you said reminded me of when I… was little…" Paul began, "I used to look up to my father like a hero. He taught me how to ride a bike and play baseball; just like any good dad would. But one day, he got fired from his job. Then… my dad turned into a full-fledged alcoholic. He would come home every night after he returned from the bar and yell at my innocent mother for hours after. I tried to stop him a few times, but that only got me black eyes and insults, which would make the kids at school tease me. My father would tell me all the time that I was useless and pathetic. He told me that a spoiled brat like me didn't even deserve to be alive. Reggie was a different story though. Dad would praise him like he was an angel. His reason for thinking this was because he never got in the way of anything he did. He would always be out with his friends or be doing something that would 'change the world for the better' in my dad's eyes. He told me that Reggie was born lucky… he told me that I was lucky to be born. He told me that I should be… _grateful _to have home…"

Paul paused, and I could tell it was because he was about to cry. I was about to cry myself. He finally continued.

"One time I had a Pikachu… a lot like yours. My mother had given it to me for my 10th birthday; it was my very first Pokemon. I loved that little Pikachu. I taught it a whole bunch of incredible moves, including volt tackle. My mother and I kept it secret from my father, because we knew that if he found it, he would kill all three of us. I did a real good job of hiding it, too. I kept it completely unknown for 3 months. Then one day I went outside… and Pikachu got out. My dad found it and asked me and my mother if we had anything to do with this. We both knew that lying wouldn't help, since he would eventually find out anyway. He gave my mother and me an extra good beating that night. The next day… I found my Pikachu dead. Fearing for my safety, my mother packed mine and Reggie's things and told him to take me somewhere safe. That's how we ended up in Veilstone. A few years later, I went out on my Pokemon journey… alone… and that's the way it's always been," Paul finished.

I really didn't know what to say. All I wanted to do was hold Paul in my arms and tell him that everything would be okay; that I would always be there for him. But that would be way too awkward at the moment.

"Paul… I had no idea… I'm so sorry-"

"Save your apologies. I don't need your sympathy," he said, cutting me off. I could tell he was lying because I saw his fist shaking, trying to prevent himself from crying again. My expression softened and I gave him a look of understanding as everything clicked in my head.

"Paul, to me, you've always been hard to figure out. But now… I think I really get you," I started.

Paul looked at me and into my eyes.

"Now I know why you've always been so interested in my Pikachu. And I also know why you are so mean to everyone," I stopped and looked back into Paul's eyes, "it's because you're afraid, isn't it."

His eyes widened as he knew what I was saying was true.

"You're afraid that if you get too close to anyone, they'll betray you, just like your father did. But you can't let one occurrence guide your life. You'll never be happy or have friends. And sure, even if it's working for you now, just think about when you get older. You'll be alone for everything. Can you even imagine how horrible that will be?" I asked.

Paul's eyes began to sparkle, which made me smile to myself.

"I…" was all Paul said.

"Just think about what I've said. Thank you for coming and telling me… what you told me," I said happily. Getting up, I started to walk away. I didn't really want to leave, but I didn't want him to think I actually _wanted _to be there _alone _with him…

Suddenly, a warm hand caught me by my arm, pulling me closer and bringing a blush to me without much effort. I turned around to see Paul giving me an almost pleading look, begging me to sit back down beside him. With that face, I couldn't help but oblige.

I went back over to our spot and sat down a little bit closer, smelling another hint of lavender. He didn't say anything for a few minutes, but I didn't mind. I actually enjoyed just being next to him.

"Ash… what you said was true. My dad just really hurt me, physically and emotionally, so I guess I just built a wall, blocking everyone out…" Paul finally said. I smiled over at him.

-AN: again, this is where it repeats. You can just skim over this part until it gets back to the part with the soothe bell.-

"It's not uncommon that people get in your same situation. How often do we hold onto our meager scraps of life, clutching them so closely to us, failing to realize that we gain everything by letting go. We nurse our grudges and anger over pasts slights and abuses, telling ourselves we are entitled to our resentments after all we have endured, destroying ourselves and our happiness in the process," I explained.

I looked over at Paul and noticed that he was gazing back at me, listing very intently, so I decided to keep going.

"Ya know," I continued, leaning against the back of the Pokemon Center and looking up at the stars that beautifully decorated the night sky, "we expect miracles to happen every day, and when they don't, we become disappointed because we are not satisfied with what _does_ happen. But honestly, we often fail to see the splendor of the simple everyday things and seize the moments that present themselves to us," I stopped and looked back at Paul with happy eyes.

"We seek peace but remain so busy doing, planning to do, or remembering what we have done that we have no time for it. You have to learn to let go and move on. Do you understand?" I asked.

I saw it in Paul's eyes – he did understand.

"I… never wanted to get close to anyone else because I was so afraid that what happened to me as a kid would happen again… I didn't even want to take the chance…" Paul admitted.

"You took the chance, though, Paul. You got close to me," I said happily.

I could barely believe it, but Paul smiled back at me, even if it was only slight. Today was full of firsts.

Suddenly, I remembered something that I had wanted to give Paul. He blinked in confusion as I reached out and grabbed his hand. I blushed, but he was blushing right along with me. I dug around in my pocket for a moment before I found it, and placed my other hand in his as I sat the soothe bell he had given me in its place. I smiled at his shocked expression.

"You… kept it?" he asked. I nodded, still smiling.

"I've had it since the day you gave… _threw _it at me," I teased, smiling. He gave me a look of apology.

He looked into my eyes and I stared back, surprised to see that Paul's eyes were actually a beautiful amethyst color instead of the black I had always thought they were.

"Thanks… Ash…" he said quietly. When I thought about what he had just said to me, my eyes widened. He caught this and gave me a funny look.

"What?" he asked. I blinked.

"It's just… you've never called me by my name before. It's always been 'loser' or 'idiot'," I said. He closed his eyes and looked away from me, obviously embarrassed. He began to blush deeper than the whole time he had been with me, so I decided to bring it up this time.

"Paul… are you… blushing?" I asked. I saw his blush become deeper as I got closer to him to get a better look.

"Hn… of course not… only losers blush," he countered. I took the chance and placed one of my hands on his cheek, caressing it quite lovingly. I couldn't help but giggled when I saw his eyes shoot open from the contact.

"It feels like you're blushing. You're awfully warm," I teased. He looked at me and scowled. I'd had enough of that hateful expression, so I put on a scowl of my own.

"This'll probably sound really cliché, but if you keep scowling like that, your face will get stuck that way. Why don't you try a different expression for once?" I asked, some-what teasing. Paul just looked at me and his scowl deepened. Wow, I didn't know that was even possible. Regardless, I thought of a plan to get him to actually show some other emotion besides impatience and irritation towards me. Then it hit me, lighting my face up in amusement.

"Well, if you won't change you're expression…" I paused and grabbed Paul's shoulders, turning him to face me, "I guess I'll have to change it for you."

I took the chance and pulled his body into mine. My face immediately began to heat up from the contact. I could tell he was shocked because he stiffened and didn't respond in the least; it was like holding a rag doll. Just as I thought I had crossed the line, I felt him slowly reaching his arms up to embrace me back. His stiffness faded and I could feel him hugging me tighter the longer we held each other in place. I smiled and hugged him tighter also. Soon, he moved closer to me in order to get a better hold on me, which made me blush more, but I did the same thing, not minding the contact or sweet lavender scent that he had. We fit together perfectly; like two halves of a whole.

When I felt my blush wear off a little bit, I decided that now would be a good time to part. He didn't seem to want to, and to be honest, I didn't either. I really liked having him in my arms. My lament wore off when I saw his face. He was blushing like mad and his scowl was gone. He really looked nice.

Not that I thought Paul looked hot or anything…

"See? Was that so hard?" I finally asked. Paul blinked in response. I laughed.

"Ya know," I started, "you're actually kinda cute when you blush."

I almost blushed myself, but when I saw Paul's blush deepen again, I started laughing out loud. It was just so funny to see him this way. I fell back on ground and continued to laugh.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?" I heard him ask.

"Y… You! You're what's funny! I've never seen you so… so embarrassed! It's so… so… funny!" I said through my laughter. Suddenly, he jerked me up by my shoulders and brought my face a few inches from his. I was scared, but at the same time almost happy that we were so close. Then he did something that I never would have expected in a million years.

He _kissed _me!

And it wasn't just a little peck. No, it was a real sweet, soft kiss, full of passion.

And I actually _liked _it.

No one had ever kissed me before, but I loved how it felt. It made me feel important; like somebody really wanted to be with _me _and not the Pokemon master everyone else saw me as.

I slowly came out of my state of shock and began to respond to his kiss.

_Take it slow _I had to remind myself. So, I just held him there for a minute to get all the enjoyment out of it that I could.

Finally out of breath, we began to part, our breathing slightly uneven. We stopped a few inches apart and just stared at each other, my breath hitting his face. Good thing I had brushed my teeth before I went out to meet him.

"What… was that for?" I asked awkwardly.

"I-I… was… trying to make you… embarrassed," he said just as awkwardly. I decided to break the tension with a joke.

"Well," I started, making his eyes look into mine, "congratulations." I smiled. Paul smiled back at me.

Suddenly, he started laughing like he had just heard the best joke in the world, startling me. I had never heard Paul laugh before, with the exception of the sadistic chuckles he gave me every once and a while. For some reason, I found myself laughing as well.

"W-why are you… laughing?" I asked through my laughter.

"W-why are you laughing?" he asked back.

"You look so funny when you're embarrassed!" we responded simultaneously.

Soon, we were both on the ground beside each other, our ridiculous laughter beginning to subside.

I glanced over at him and smiled. The moon reflected off his face and hair, almost making him glow. Then I had a thought.

"Hey, Paul…" I started.

"Hm?" he asked. I immediately felt stupid when I thought about what I was going to ask him.

"… Never mind… it's dumb…" I said, turning to my side.

Suddenly, he grabbed my shoulders and turned me back towards him. My breathing hitched and my blush returned.

"Come on. What were you going to say?" he asked in a calm voice. It made me shiver a little.

Sighing, I decided to just ask him. Who knows?

"I just thought that if you could trust me now… I was… just going to ask if… you maybe wanted… to… travel with me… er, us," I stuttered. I felt stupid when I realized that I said 'travel with _me_'. I prayed silently that he hadn't caught that. I was startled a little when he started chuckling.

"Sure. I do think I can trust you. And I also think that it would be… fun. That is… if your friends don't mind," he said, giving me an almost pleading look.

I smiled inwardly.

"Oh, trust me. They won't," I said with a mischievous look.

Paul suddenly wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his chest. I smiled like an idiot and blushed, but instantly melted into his embrace.

"Thanks," he said, cutting through the silence. I looked up at him with a confused face. He smiled.

"For?" I asked.

"For helping me let go. I just didn't know how, but what you said really broke through to me. I'm glad I came here tonight," Paul sighed, closing his eyes. I silently said 'me too' and looked up at Paul with an extremely happy expression. Sighing, I snuggled into his chest and closed my eyes also, lying peacefully in his open arms.

**I hope you liked this, too! I'll also be doing a 'Paul's thoughts' chapter next. (Hopefully getting posted soon.) ^-^**

**Thanks for reading!* - Dawn ^-^**


	3. Paul's thoughts

**Alright! This is the last chapter people! This is 'Paul's thoughts'. I really hope that those of you that requested these chapters be done liked what I did with them! **

**NOTE!: THIS IS **_**NOT **_**A CONTINUATION OF CHAPTER ONE! THIS IS ONLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHOWING PAUL'S THOUGHTS. **

"Fernape!" his Infernape wailed as it fell to the ground.

"Infernape!" he called to it as if his voice would magically change the way things had happened. He ran over to it and knelt down in the dirt beside it. The familiar feeling of jealously stung in my heart when I saw him caress it in his arms and smile down at it.

"You did such a great job, Infernape. You really tried your best. Thanks," he said as he took out its pokeball. I laughed to myself at this. What an idiot, feeding his Pokemon's ego like that. He returned it and continued to smile like an idiot, even though his eyes showed that he was trying his best to fight back tears.

"How pathetic," I muttered. I don't know if he heard it or not, but I really didn't care. He was probably used to my insults by now anyway.

Taking out Magmortar's pokeball, I returned him to it and then scowled down towards it.

"Is that all you've got?" I asked it, knowing that it wouldn't answer back. I didn't even have to look at Ash to know that I had struck his last nerve. He stood up and gave me his best angry face. He looked so cute when he was trying to act all tough.

Wait… what?

"Why do you have to be like that, Paul? Your Pokemon do their best to gain your respect and they battle their hardest but you brush it off like they don't even try!" Ash yelled at me.

"Hn. I don't need your lectures," I said, turning and walking away. I heard him growl and run to catch up to me. No surprise there. He did this 50% of the time even though only about 10% actually made me stop and question why he was following me. Next, he would usually call my nam-

"Paul!" Right on cue.

"PAUL!" he yelled again. Was he really that desperate for my attention?

I continued to walk until we were about one or two yards inside the forest. Giving up, I turned around and gave him the deepest scowl that I could. If looks could kill, he'd drop dead on the spot.

He caught up to me and stopped, putting his hands on his knees and catching his breath. Finally looking up at me, he jumped a little and stepped back. Smart move.

He put on a scowl of his own and then clenched his fists at his sides.

"What do you want," I said in a voice that didn't sound like a question.

"What do I want? I _want_ to know why you always act like such an arrogant little brat that never shows any feeling other than hate and disrespect! Do you know that pretty much everyone you meet _hates _you, with the exception of Barry, because you act like such a jerk?" he yelled at me.

I was stunned.

I couldn't believe what he had just said to me. It sounded exactly like what my father used to tell me.

I must have looked pretty stupid just standing there like an idiot.

Suddenly, I felt tears pool up behind my eyes. I don't know if he caught it or not, but I turned swiftly and began to walk away again. I shortly heard Ash running to catch up with me again. I tried walking a little faster and then heard him call out my name again.

"Paul!" he called in vain.

Tears. I felt them leak from under my eyes and down my face.

"PAUL!" he yelled to me.

They were coming down full force now.

Finally getting close enough, he grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.

When he saw my face, he released my shoulders and I didn't even have to look at him to know that he must have been shocked. I don't know what he was standing there doing, but he probably was laughing on the inside at seeing me be so weak. He finally got up the nerve to talk to me.

"P-Paul. What… what's wrong?" he asked.

It took me a minute to muster up a response, but I finally choked one out.

"Nothing…" was my only shaky word. Turning again, I walked deeper into the forest and didn't dare look back. I didn't hear the increasing foot beats behind me or that annoying, pre-puberty voice of his, so I figured he had finally given up after that performance. Suddenly, I heard him call out to me.

"Paul! Meet me behind the Pokemon Center tonight! At 8:00! I want to talk to you!" he called.

My eyes widened and I hesitated in my step, but shook it off a bit and continued walking. I can't believe that he had just asked me to do that.

My heart was pounding.

. . . . . .

I made it back to the Pokemon center around 5:30. I had made my decision on the way back that I would go and meet him. Who knows? It might be fun.

I went back to my room so I could clean up before I went to meet him. He, Brock, and… whatever that girl's name is must not have made it here yet because I hadn't heard their annoying voices or seen their pathetic Pokemon.

I went silently passed the front desk and went straight to my hotel room. Upon entering, I undressed and went to take a shower.

The cool water splashing on my face made me feel completely relaxed. I still wondered what Ash was thinking when he saw me crying. Maybe he thought that I was weak. Maybe he lost all respect for me and now I'm just a joke in his eyes. Or maybe he-

"Guys, I think I'll gotake a shower now," I heard someone say in the distance.

I knew exactly who it was.

I immediately shut off my shower (I was done anyway) and hopped out, wrapping a towel around me and grabbing my clean clothes. I heard his footsteps get increasingly louder and my heart began to pound as the thought of him coming in here entered my mind. My heart rate began to slow as I heard his footsteps stop at the door next to my room and enter that one.

Of course, his room had to be right beside mine.

I had to make sure and be extra quiet. I quickly dried off, threw on my clothes, and brushed my teeth. I popped an extra mint just to make sure that my breath smelled extra good.

Looking through my bag, I thought I might be able to find something that would make me seem like I had at least half-way put in some effort into this. I never bought any cologne or anything because I never thought I would need it. Suddenly, my fingers brushed over something hard and smooth like glass. I grabbed it and took it out so I could see it better.

It was a bottle of Lavender-scented cologne.

I then remembered where I had gotten this. Reggie had given it to me for my birthday one year, claiming that I would _definitely _thank him one day for it. I had simply shrugged and tossed it into my bag without even giving it a second thought. I never thought that I would be – or have the desire to be – in a relationship which would call for the need to smell nice.

I've always heard the saying 'people who are single are incomplete people'. The truth is that the one word which might characterize me is not incomplete; it's free. Free to go. Free to do. Free to change.

Spraying myself with a generous amount of the lavender mist, I looked in the mirror and began to brush my unruly purple hair. As I did so, I thought about why exactly that I had _purple_ hair. Whatever, it suited me.

Giving one last glance in the mirror, I actually took notice that I looked pretty nice. I hope Ash appreciates all the work I put into my appearance.

Dear God, I'm thinking about him again. What's wrong with me?

I sat down on the corner of my bed and watched the clock. I would wait until I heard him leave, then I would follow after. I didn't want to seem too eager and get there early.

As they say, love is patient.

. . . . . .

After about 15 minutes of tedious waiting, I finally heard his door close and go to leave the Pokemon Center. I peeked out of my door a few minutes later and saw that annoying girl coming back to his room with an angry look on her face. I slammed my door shut again and listened through the wall.

"I can't believe that he would lie to me! 'I'm just going out to get supplies' my foot!" the girl hollered.

"Dawn, please calm down. Maybe he just wanted some time alone," another voice (probably Brock) tried to console.

"Maybe…" the coordinator sighed and I heard her plop down on her bed.

What a brat. She better not like him.

Wait… why do I even care? Ugh, I'm so confused.

. . . . . . .

I went outside the Pokemon Center and was instantly greeted by a cool gust of wind. I walked around to the back wall when I heard someone yell "My hat!" The next thing I know, the loser's hat in blown right in my line of reach. Some-what despite myself, I extended my hand out and caught it with ease. I heard him gasp stupidly and stop in his tracks. Deciding that now was as good a time as ever, I walked around the corner and was greeted by the dumb-struck face of the one I was supposed to meet. He blinked cutely and had the most adorable look of curiosity spread across his face.

"Paul! You showed up!" he said to me.

"Of course I showed up! You asked me to, didn't you?" I asked. I held his hat in my hand a little bit tighter and clutched it to my chest.

"Well… yeah, but I just thought that you would blow me off," he said.

"Hn," was my only response. Then I saw his eyes shift down a little bit towards my chest. I felt my face heat up a bit before I realized what he was getting at.

"Uh… thanks for catching my hat," he said embarrassedly. I then realized that I still held his hat tightly in my grasp. I flinched a little and shoved it in his hands.

"Whatever. So, why did you want me to come here?" I asked honestly.

He put his hat back in place and looked into my eyes. He seemed to think for a moment before finally stating his answer.

"I wanted to know why you were crying today in the forest," he said confidently.

I flinched, forgetting that he had seen me do that. I stayed silent, which obviously made him impatient.

"Paul. Answer me," he stated again, more sternly this time.

"It's… complicated," was my answer. I knew that it wouldn't be a sufficient response, but I thought he would let me of the hook.

I was wrong.

"I've got time," he said. He suddenly grabbed my hand and dragged me over to a spot in the grass. I couldn't help but blush as I felt his hand still around mine even when we had sat down. I jerked it away with fake disdain.

"Now, what happened? Why were you crying?" Ash asked again, seemingly oblivious to my very apparent blush.

I searched his eyes for a hint of doubt. When I saw none, I sighed to myself.

"… You were the reason," I said, tearing my gaze away from him. He was silent for a moment before making a response.

"M-me? What did I do?" he asked innocently. That's how he had me hooked. His innocence was just so odd. I had never been, nor been around anyone, that was truly and genuinely pure in soul and heart.

"It wasn't what you did, it was what you said," I corrected.

"What I said? How did _that _hurt your feelings? You say horrible things to me every time we meet! If you expect me to apologize-"

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP FOR 5 SECONDS?" I yelled at him. He shut up. Looking at his solemn face made me, for the first time in my life, regret something I had done.

I sighed before finally giving him what he had asked me to come here for.

~Repeats. You can just skim this part~

"What you said reminded me of when I… was little…" I began, "I used to look up to my father like a hero. He taught me how to ride a bike and play baseball; just like any good dad would. But one day, he got fired from his job. Then… my dad turned into a full-fledged alcoholic. He would come home every night after he returned from the bar and yell at my innocent mother for hours after. I tried to stop him a few times, but that only got me black eyes and insults, which would make the kids at school tease me. My father would tell me all the time that I was useless and pathetic. He told me that a spoiled brat like me didn't even deserve to be alive. Reggie was a different story though. Dad would praise him like he was an angel. His reason for thinking this was because he never got in the way of anything he did. He would always be out with his friends or be doing something that would 'change the world for the better' in my dad's eyes. He told me that Reggie was born lucky… he told me that I was lucky to be born. He told me that I should be… _grateful _to have home…"

I had to stop to avoid breaking into tears. Ash continued to sit looking at me with a horrified look. I ignored it and finally regained my composure to where I could speak again.

"One time I had a Pikachu… a lot like yours. My mother had given it to me for my 10th birthday; it was my very first Pokemon. I loved that little Pikachu. I taught it a whole bunch of incredible moves, including volt tackle. My mother and I kept it secret from my father, because we knew that if he found it, he would kill all three of us. I did a real good job of hiding it, too. I kept it completely unknown for 3 months. Then one day I went outside… and Pikachu got out. My dad found it and asked me and my mother if we had anything to do with this. We both knew that lying wouldn't help, since he would eventually find out anyway. He gave my mother and me an extra good beating that night. The next day… I found my Pikachu dead. Fearing for my safety, my mother packed mine and Reggie's things and told him to take me somewhere safe. That's how we ended up in Veilstone. A few years later, I went out on my Pokemon journey… alone… and that's the way it's always been," I finished. I sighed inwardly, hardly believing what I had just poured onto my rival. I wondered how he would take it.

"Paul… I had no idea… I'm so sorry-"

"Save your apologies. I don't need your sympathy," I lied. If only Ash knew how much I wanted him to just take me in his arms and let me cry on his shoulder, telling me that it was okay and rubbing my back soothingly. He'd never do that, though. Right now, I wouldn't blame him if he just got up and walked away after the way I'd been treating him.

"Paul, to me, you've always been hard to figure out. But now… I think I really get you," Ash said. This made me turn to him and look him in the eyes.

"Now I know why you've always been so interested in my Pikachu. And I also know why you are so mean to everyone," Ash stopped and looked back into my eyes, "it's because you're afraid, isn't it."

My eyes widened considerably.

"You're afraid that if you get too close to anyone, they'll betray you, just like your father did. But you can't let one occurrence guide your life. You'll never be happy or have friends. And sure, even if it's working for you now, just think about when you get older. You'll be alone for everything. Can you even imagine how horrible that will be?" Ash asked.

"I…" I uttered stupidly.

"Just think about what I've said. Thank you for coming and trusting me enough to tell me… what you told me," Ash said. He got up and began to walk back towards the front of the Pokemon Center. It sort of surprised my own self, but I found myself getting up and catching his arm. He gave a confused look back at me, so I stared at him with my very best pleading eyes. He seemed to catch this and decided to walk back over and sit down beside me. I took note that he was considerably closer to me than before. I could feel the heat of his body radiating towards me.

The silence was getting awkward, so I finally decided to speak again.

"Ash… what you said was true. My dad just really hurt me, physically and emotionally, so I guess I just built a wall, blocking everyone out…" I said.

~Repeat. Skim this if you would like~

"It's not uncommon that people get in your same situation. How often do we hold onto our meager scraps of life, clutching them so closely to us, failing to realize that we gain everything by letting go. We nurse our grudges and anger over pasts slights and abuses, telling ourselves we are entitled to our resentments after all we have endured, destroying ourselves and our happiness in the process," Ash said.

I looked into Ash's eyes very intently; listening to every word like my life depended on it.

"Ya know," Ash continued, leaning against the back of the Pokemon Center and looking up at the stars that adorned the night sky, "we expect miracles to happen every day, and when they don't, we become disappointed because we are not satisfied with what _does_ happen. But honestly, we often fail to see the splendor of the simple everyday things and seize the moments that present themselves to us," Ash stopped and looked back at me with his familiar happy eyes.

"We seek peace but remain so busy doing, planning to do, or remembering what we have done that we have no time for it. You have to learn to let go and move on. Do you understand?" Ash asked.

I couldn't find my voice, so I hoped that my eyes would tell him the whole story. Here I thought that Ash was a nieve idiot that didn't know about anything except what little knowledge he had about Pokemon.

"I… never wanted to get close to anyone else because I was so afraid that what happened to me as a kid would happen again… I didn't even want to take the chance…" I said, finally making comprehensible words.

"You took the chance, though, Paul. You got close to me," Ash said, smiling a radiant smile.

Seeing him smile made the corners of my own mouth turn up a bit.

"I… guess I did," I admitted. Instead of the horrible embarrassment that I thought I would feel, I actually felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from my shoulders.

Ash looked into my eyes very intently for a moment before his expression changed. I blinked, silently questioning what he was doing.

"I want to give you something," Ash uttered.

He smiled and gently took one of my hands, turning it upwards where he could see my palm. I didn't pull back, but I felt a blush dust my cheeks and the bridge of my nose. Ash reached into his pocket and dug around for a moment. Finally seeming to find what he was looking for, he placed his curved fingers on my hand and gently released what he was holding. When he moved his hand, I looked down to find a beautiful silver bell with and bright yellow ribbon tied around the top. My eyes must have widened considerably because I heard Ash giggle.

"You… kept it?" I asked. He nodded and continued to smile like an idiot.

"I have had this since the day you gave… _threw _it at me," Ash said, smiling sarcastically. I felt the need to give him some sort of apology, so I told him through my eyes to make it less out-of-character.

"I've kept it because I thought one day that you might need it back… so… there it is," Ash continued sheepishly.

I glanced back down at the small round object in my hand and then back to Ash's eyes. He looked back into mine with happiness dancing around in them.

"Thanks… Ash…" I managed to get out. Ash's eyes widened suddenly and he looked a little shocked. I just stared back at him in confusion.

"What?" I asked him bluntly, the appreciation gone from my voice. He blinked again like I had just snapped him out of a trance.

"It's just… you've never called me by my name before. It's always been 'loser' or 'idiot'," Ash said. Realizing that that was indeed what I had just said to him, I blushed and looked away from his face, closing my eyes so he couldn't see the embarrassment in them.

"Paul… are you… blushing?" I heard him ask. I felt him scoot closer and, against my will, my blush deepened. We were mere _centimeters _apart.

"Hn… of course not… only losers blush," I said, trying to get him to move away a little bit so my face could return to its natural temperature.

Suddenly, a warm, soft hand pressed against my face, making my eyes shoot open. Ash giggled from beside me.

"It's feels like you're blushing. You're awfully warm," Ash smiled. I had to get out of this. I turned to him and scowled but my blush stayed present. His smile suddenly dropped and he scowled as well.

"This'll probably sound really cliché, but if you keep scowling like that, your face will get stuck that way. Why don't you try a different expression for once?" Ash teased. I just made my scowl even deeper (if possible.) He didn't do anything for a moment, but then his face lit up with an idea.

"Well, if you won't change your expression…" Ash paused and caught my shoulders, "I guess I'll have to change it for you."

I couldn't even process what happened. All I knew was that right now, at this very moment, I was actually in Ash's arms. I was too shocked to move for a moment. But after a few seconds, the initial shock wore off and my arms began to move around Ash's lithe body. Once my arms had completely curved around him, my eyes closed in contentment. The over-powering feeling of attraction made my arms tighten around him. I felt him tighten his arms around me also, making me blush. I scooted even closer to where our legs were zigzagged together. I felt my blush return as neither of us made a move to separate.

Without really wanting to, we separated and looked deep into each others eyes. I must have looked pretty silly with a blush completely taking over my face.

"See? Was that so hard?" Ash laughed. I just blinked in response. He giggled a little then spoke again.

"Ya know…" he started, "you're actually kinda cute when you blush."

Without even thinking it was possible, my blush deepened. Ash busted out laughing, falling back on the ground and holding his stomach.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?" I yelled at him. My pride had taken a huge blow and I felt stupid for ever even thinking that he really wanted to be with me.

"Y-You! You're what's funny! I've never seen you so… so embarrassed! It's so… so… funny!" Ash said through laughs. I was so mad at him right now, I didn't even hesitate in bringing his shoulders up from the ground and pulling his face inches from mine. I was prepared to make him just as – if not more – embarrassed as I had felt. Ash stopped laughing and his breathing hitched.

I pulled his face close, pressing his lips to mine. I don't know how Ash was feeling, but I was in heaven. His lips were soft, warm, and inviting. I had never kissed anyone nor been kissed, but I instantly loved the feeling of it.

Not really wanting to, but also not wanting to make this any more awkward, I was just about to pull away when suddenly, I felt a pair of hesitant lips begin to respond. I never in a million years expected it, but Ash actually began to kiss back. He melted into me and I fell in sync.

After a few moments, we slowly began to part and looked into each others passion-filled eyes. His face was completely taken over with a blush and his mouth was hanging open a bit. He cleared his throat a bit and then spoke.

"What… was that for?" Ash asked shakily, his breath hitting my face. It smelled like mint, which was quite nice. We were still only inches apart from each other.

"I-I… was… trying to make you… embarrassed," I almost whispered.

"Well…" Ash began, "congratulations." He smiled. I smiled back.

Suddenly, the over-whelming urge to laugh hit me like a bomb. I doubled-over and started laughing until my sides hurt. I'm not even sure why. After a few seconds, I heard Ash bust out laughing as well.

"W-why are you… laughing?" Ash asked through his own laughs.

"W-why are you laughing?" I asked back.

"You look so funny when you're embarrassed!" we answered simultaneously.

Soon, he was on the ground beside me, hunched over in laughter. After a moment, though, our unreasonable laughter began to subside and we lay beside each other on the cool grass. We watched as the stars twinkled in the sky when Ash spoke again.

"Hey Paul…" Ash said from beside me.

"Hm?" I questioned. He seemed to hesitate and then rethink what he was about to ask me.

"… Never mind… it's dumb…" Ash said, turning away from me.

I gently grabbed his shoulders and turned him back towards me. I felt his breathing hitch and saw a small blush creep onto his face.

"Come on. What were you going to say?" I asked gently. Ash blushed a little from the close contact, but quickly shook it off and sighed.

"I just thought that if you could trust me now… I was… just going to ask if… you maybe wanted… to… travel with me… er, us," Ash stuttered. I caught the 'me' in his sentence, which made me smile widely. I chuckled.

"Sure. I do think I can trust you. And I also think that it would be… fun. That is… if your friends don't mind," I said.

"Oh, trust me. They won't," Ash said with a mischievous look on his face.

I smirked and wrapped an arm around Ash's small shoulders, bringing him as close to me as possible. I blushed furiously, thankful that Ash couldn't see my face.

"Thanks," I said, breaking the silence. Ash looked up at me with a confused expression.

"For?" he inquired.

"For helping me let go. I just didn't know how, but what you said really broke through to me. I'm glad I came here tonight," I sighed, closing my eyes in content. I felt Ash snuggle closer to me.

My heart skipped a few beats.

**The end! I hope you guys liked this as well! This is the last official chapter. Thank you guys so much for reading/faving/reviewing.**


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